Universal cable-tip.



F. W. SMITH.

UNIVERSAL CABLE TIP APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29, 1915.

1 ,210,1 10. Patented Dec. 26,1916.

, A .INVENTOR 1 EWSm-WL WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

FRANK w. SMITH, on ansas CITY, MISSOURI. AssIeNon or ONE-HALF To wIIiLLs-M K. TBIMBLE, or xansas CITY, mIssoUaI.

UNIVERSAL CABLE-TIP.

meiotic,

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK W. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of'Jackson and .State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Universal Cable-Tips, of which the following is a specification;

This invention relates to universal cable tipsland more especially to cable tips for electrically connecting cables to spark plugs of explosive eng'nes on automobiles and the like, and my object is to produce a tip of this character which may be used on any of the standard types of spark plugs with greater security against accidental disengagement than is now provided by the tips at present in use.

A further object is to provide a cable tip to which the wire portion of the, cable can be secured with an efficient contact and less danger of detachment than is obtained by the common methods of, making such connection.

With these" objects in view the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and organization as hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying draw- 7 ing, in which- Figure 1, is a perspective view showing a fragment of a cable equipped with a tip embodying my invention, the cylindrical guard or collar being withdrawn from normal position to expose more clearly the relation between the cable and the tip. Fig. 2, is a side view of the same applied to a spark plug of standard pattern. Fig. 3, is a central vertical section of the same as applied to a second type of standard plug. Fig. a, is a plan view showing the tip applied to what is generally known as the pillar type of spark plug. Fig. 5, is a side view of the oppositely bowed semicylindrical clasp arms Patented Dec. 2e, an.

Application filed. March 29, 1915. Serial No. 17,801.

5 and the member 2 is provided adjacent the bolt wlth an opening 6. The front portions wardly and forwardly from the lower end of the tooth and in conjunction with the adjacent portion of the member 8 constituting a flaring mouth 11. w v

The member 7 is provided with an opening 12 which is vertically above the inner end of a bifurcation 13 in the front ex-V tremity of the member 8, and between the perforated and bifurcated portions of the members and the securing bolt 3, said mem bers are oppositely bowed at 14 to produce a substantially round opening 15 between the members, these bowed portions not only providing an opening 15 for a use'which is hereinafter explained, but they constitute hin e coils to increase the clamping power of t e jaws 7 and 8.

- 16 is a wire cable provided with the customary insulation sheath 17 which terminates short of the front end of the cable so that when the cable as a whole is fitted between the semi-cylindrical clasp arms, the extended. portion of the cable can be threaded through the opening 6 and bent around the bolt between member2 thereof and the nut 4.' To make this connection more eifi cient, and permanent the usual guard or sleeve 17 upon the cable, is slipped forward over the arms. 5 until it contacts with the nut t and thus tends to prevent the latter from unscrewing.

To apply this tip to a spark plug, of the type indicated by the reference character 19, the clamping nut 20 of the plug is removed from the threaded stem 21 of the plug, the tip is then slipped down upon said stem preferably with member 8 undermost, the stem extending up through the bifurcation and the opening 12. The nut 20 is then screwed down upon the stem until it clamps the tip firmly upon the upper end of the metal cap 22 of the plug. This organization of parts establishes an efficient and reliable connection between the tip and plug, as any unscrewing actionof the nut Wlll not result in disengagement between the plug and tip because of the engagement between the stem and the opening 12 of the upper member or jaw 7 of the tip, it being noted that the aw 7 through its upward pressure, locks the nut 20 against unscrewing.

When it is desired to use the ti upon a plug of the type indicated at 23, W ich plug is provided with a short headed stem 24, the bifurcated end of the lower member is fitted under the head of said stem so that the head of the latter shall fit in the mouth 11 of the tip, which is then pushed forwardly so as to overcome the resilient resistance of member 7, the pressure being applied until the stem occupies the rear end of the bifurcation and the tooth .9 stands in front of the cur because the tooth 9 is disposed in front of the head and forms in effect a spring closure for the bifurcation and to overcome the resistance of this spring closure, it is neces sary to pull rearwardly on the cable with considerable force.-

For engagement with the pillar type of the members ,7 and 8 forming the walls of said opening. The resiliency of the members is'such that it is practically impossible for the tip to be disengaged from the pillar by pulling rearwardly upon the tip and it clasps the latter with such firmness that a positive application of power is required to disengage the tip by pulling upward upon it to withdraw it from the pillar.

The advantage of a'universal tip of the character described will be readily understood by motorists particularly when touring, as it is frequently necessary to replace a defective spark plug with a new one of different type, and if the cable tips are adapted for use only with a definite type of plug it is necessary to resort to makeshift connections. The equipment of the cables with a tip embodying mycinvention will eliminate this trouble entirely.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a universal cable tip embodying the features of advantage enumerated as desirable and I wish it to be understood that while I have illust-rated and described the preferred embodiment of the same, I reserve the right to make all changes falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. A cable tip comprising a pair of spring metal jaws, one of the jaws having a tooth for engagement with the other to limit approaching movement of the front ends of the jaws and the other jaw having a bifurcation extending from its front extremity to a point rearward of said tooth.

2. A cable tip comprising a pair of spring metal jaws, one of the jaws having a tooth for engagement with the other to limit approaching movement of the front ends of the jaws and the other jaw having a bifurcation extending from its front extremity to a point rearward of said tooth; said jaws being outwardly bowed at opposite points rearward of said bifurcation.

3. A cable tip, comprising a pair of spring metal jaws having registering openings at their front ends, and a tooth projecting from one of said jaws toward the other forward of one of said openings.

4. A cable tip, comprising a pair of spring metal jaws having registering openings at their front ends, and a tooth projecting from one of said jaws toward the other forward of one of said openings, said jaws at opposite points rearward of said openings being bowed outwardly.

5. A cable tip comprising a pair of spring metal jaws, one pr'ovided'at its front end with a forwardly opening bifurcation and the other near its front end with an opening registering with the rear portion of said bifurcation and with a transverse tooth projecting toward the bifurcated aw and bridging the bifurcation thereof; said tooth having an extension diverging forward with respect to the front extremity of the bifurcated jaw and constituting a flaring mouth for the aws.

6. A cable tip comprising a pair of spring metal jaws, one provided with a forwardly opening bifurcation at its front end and the other near its front end with an opening registering with the rear portion of said bifurcation and with a transverse tooth projecting toward the bifurcated jaw and bridging the bifurcation thereof; said tooth having an extension diverging forward with respect to the front extremity of the bifurcated jaw and constituting a flaring mouth for the jaws; said jaws rearward of said opening and bifurcation being bowed outward at opposite points.

7. A cable tip, comprising a pair of spring metal members fitting flatly together intermediate their ends to form a pair of jaws and a pair of arms at opposite sides of the point of engagement, a bolt extending through said members at their engagement arms and abutting against the nut to preoint, a nut engaging the bolt to clamp the vent backward turning thereof. 10 aws together; the said arms being spacecl In testimony whereof, I aflix my signaapart and transversely oppositely bowed, an ture, in the presence of two witnesses.

insulated cable fitting between the said arms, FRANK W. SMITH.

and having its core electrically connected. to Witnesses: said members, and a cylindrical guard or FRANK B. GLoRE, sleeve fitting frictionally on the cable and G. Y. THORPE. 

